St George Illawarra Dragons lose Dan Hunt for NRL season

St George Illawarra prop Dan Hunt has been ruled out for the rest of the NRL season after undergoing knee surgery.

The 26-year-old suffered a partial strain to his patella tendon in the Dragons' round-16 loss to Penrith and hasn't played a game since.

The club decided surgery was the best option for Hunt, whose side is battling to avoid the wooden spoon for the first time as a joint-venture.

"Dan will not be able to take any further part in the Dragons' 2013 campaign but will approach his rehabilitation with all the energy he usually puts into his performances on the field," performance director Andrew Gray said in a statement on Wednesday.

But Hunt remained upbeat and confident that young forwards Jack de Belin and Jack Stockwell would step up in his absence.

"It's not the news any player wants to hear but these things happen and I have to concentrate now on moving forward and start the rehabilitation process," Hunt said.

"The entire team have been training hard in preparation for what lies ahead and I aim to help out any way I can."